About this Blog

JayBirdWalking is blog of several things. Well, actually, it’s everything but politics but when I created it, I intended for it to be the following. This list is subject to change and by change I mean add-ons. That’s right. This monster is going to get longer as time goes on.

1) An experiment in whether or not it is possible to write and maintain a blog that is enjoyed by both males and females. (That’s kind of an excuse for my drab theme and color). This is all very new and I don’t have the time to code my own site. But my interests are “varied” to be conservative. So basically, expect posts about almost anything but the majority of posts in a given time period will be related to current obsessions.

2) An experiment to see whether of not i can get a steady viewership without reaching out to my immediate friends or “successful” bloggers to help me promote it. I want to grow my blog organically. I believe that if the content i put forth is of good enough quality, it will naturally be discovered and referred along. I read an article a while ago about “how to grow a blog” that really, really pissed me off. It was extremely cynical with maybe a pinch of constructive advice. I’m so mad at it that I don’t even want to link the offending article lest it gets more views. I have a somewhat rebellious nature. Because that article told me to shamelessly kiss ass to promote myself i will strive do the exact opposite: kick ass. That is, i will *try to* put out kick-ass content. I firmly believe that an archive of relevant, well-written content will naturally draw readers in. Content is king. Connections are always nice but time spent networking could be spent researching topics and editing pieces (or watching Youtube or sleeping or eating). This all was a big fat excuse for me being borderline antisocial. I’m a lurker most of the time… until I notice a gap that needs to be addressed that I am capable of contributing to filling.

3) A beauty blog. Makeup and cosmetic related reviews are are prominent feature of this blog because I spend waaaay more time than i would like to admit researching and testing them. There’s also a lot of crap out there that I question and face palm at. I want to educate people – one handful at a time – and turn them into smarter, more savvy shoppers. (Though let’s be honest, a blow-out/splurge once in a while feels fantastic.) However, there are many, many product posts that i wish were more detailed. Sometimes a short post is great. You get your information, you get out. Short posts are good for re-enforcing something I’m already pretty set on getting, but they don’t do enough for me when I’m eyeing something that i know jack shit about. A lot of the times, I wonder if the blogger has even used the item consistently for more than a week before promoting it because of how short the post is. A couple of 3-sentence paragraphs long does not a good review make. It’s not enough to do a brush justice nor does it convince me that I *need* it. There are, of course, exceptions to this.

When i review something, grab some munchies and get ready your bum in a comfy seat. It’s gonna be longer than the normal blogger’s post. I like to write down everything that crosses my mind because it may be a useful bit of info – maybe even the make or break point – for someone deciding whether or not the product is worth shelling out money for. I write like I’m trying to talk myself into, or out of, something and it’s quite the lengthy process.

4) A place for my critiques and quips about various things including some social trends, current events, so-called “guides” for stuff, music, movies and books. I’m an opinionated person and love a good argument with substance. One of my favorite pieces ever written is this little gem right here by Susan Sontag which was introduced to me during a freshman writing class.

5) My Vindictus closet and portfolio of outfits. I don’t have the resources to obtain new clothing & create outfits often enough to be a fashion blog, so i live viariously through my Nexderp Barbies. Dressing them pretty, albeit virtually, makes me just as happy. This is also my place for posting Vindictus related stuff that I find time worthy.

6) A gaming blog. I love them. Old-fashioned or newfangled. I will just as happily play hide and seek as i will play chess. Yes I am an adult, but hide-and-seek is still ridiculously fun. I’ll try all types though I might not be very good at some of them *cough* firstpersonshooters *cough*. I do have a preference for puzzles and logic based games but who doesn’t like a good button masher once in a while? Don’t make me play a turned based one for extended periods of time though. I’ll probably fall asleep, drool on the controller/keyboard, and break it. What i love more than games though are the funny bugs, wonky quirks, mods, fan art, and bloopers. Oh i love screenshots too.

7) A journal, a personal thought record, and a time capsule. I want to be able to look back and see the thoughts in pure written form (maybe supplemented by pictures), unadulterated by the changes that inevitably occur with memory recall: what I was interested in, what i dabbled in, what infuriated me and how i felt about certain events. I want to be able to track my own evolution (interests, language and vocabulary) for the sake of my curiosity. I also want to track how long i have to rage over my acne and skin issues.

8) Writing practice. My posts will be my sacrificial dummies as i practice “killing my darlings” or getting rid of extraneous words and sentences. I’m doing a pretty terrible job of it in this about section…) Science majors are notorious for writing snoozefest articles that ramble forever and with good reason: lab reports don’t leave the author a lot of room for showcasing good writing habits. It rare to find an informative report that’s clear, efficient and easy to read without falling asleep. Point is: we don’t do a lot of writing that isn’t purely empirical. If you tell a lab tech to write a persuasive article or an opinionated piece out of the blue they would probably have a heart attack. This blog is also an exercise for my writing efficiency, grammar and vocabulary. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a sciencey-er major so we don’t really use – or care about – that “English stuff”. Hence, I need practice in writing. But seriously, killing one of my darlings is like plucking out an eyelash.

9) It’s a channel for me to procrastinate productively so I don’t feel completely guilty about wasting time that should be spent studying for classes. I’m working, Ma! Honest! Look at this wall of text that I’m writing! Instead of browsing various .gifs I’m writing essays that resemble reports with with sass and swear words.

10) A cooking, restaurants, and sensory pleasures log. I love food of all types.but i draw the line at things that are still alive. *cue Asian joke* I also have a slight infatuation with perfumes and smell goods. Hang on a sec while I go save my poor shelf sagging under the weight of all my glass bottles. Just kidding I live in SoCal. I keep that shit in an earthquake proof box on the floor. A nice box though.

11) My entertainment archive. I can post stuff and tag it with keywords to help me look them up at a later date to read/show people. I just plan to stick it on my blog (sometimes private sometimes public) so i’ll have easy access to it later via search words. No more wasted hours of digging through bookmarks! One time my sister clicked “open all bookmarks”. The 855 tabs that attempted to open crashed my computer. Yup. I have a problem.

12) A log of projects, arts and hobby creations. I like making stuff because I’m picky and can rarely find stuff that will that meet my requirements without being ridiculously expensive. I’ve also always liked making stuff since I was a kid. I hope to learn how to weld and work with glass someday but I’ll settle with plastic and wood for now.

If you so wish to contact me with questions, concerns, professions of adoration, or requests, you can always leave a comment somewhere or shoot an email to jaybirdwalking.blog@gmail.com

Please note that some of my posts do contain affiliate links. Things that I link on my blog lead to safe (secure) retailers that I have previously used and are not sponsored.